Amethyst Saga, The
by Marysia Amethyst
Summary: Amethyst enters the Labyrinth (Labyrinth Bowie Jareth Henson), further chapters available on www.marysia.com


Apologies to Marvel, Henson Productions and whoever made Company of Wolves. It should however be noted that the following characters belong to me: Amethyst, Louis, Czeslaw, Ander, Hogwart and Millbury the lion. 

The Amethyst Saga by Amethyst Labyrinth II: The Origins of Amethyst (2nd edition) 

It was a Saturday evening in Glasgow. Amethyst was watching Labyrinth on the TV, her stepmother and father were out for dinner and her sister was spending the night with her friend Lizzie. In the kitchen her young half-brothers Louis and Czeslaw were asleep in the bed recess. 

"Give me the child." 

"Sarah beware. I have been generous up till now. But I can be cruel." 

"Generous! What've you done that's generous?" 

"Every thing! Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me. I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?" 

"Give the guy a break Sarah, he's got a point!" 

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom..." "Stop! Wait. Look Sarah. Look what I'm offering. Your dreams!" 

"And my kingdom as great." 

"I ask for so little. Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want." 

"My kingdom as great...damn!. I can never remember that line." 

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." 

"My kingdom as great ... my kingdom as great." 

"Don't say it." 

"You have no power over me!" 

"Too late, she said it. Another great opportunity wasted." Hearing a noise at the door Amethyst turned around. "Louis what are you doing out of bed? Or more to the point how did you get out of bed?" 

"Samma don' know." 

"Well let's put you back." 

"Not tired. Wanna watch Robin Hood." 

"Louis it's far too late for that. If Mummy and Daddy come home and find you up I'm for it." she lifted him up and started to take him back to the kitchen. 

"Don' wanna go to bed! Not tired!" Louis started to holler loudly. 

"Oh for pete's sake!" she dumped him on the couch. "Sit nice on the couch then." 

"Dummy." 

"I'll get it." Heading through to the kitchen she paused at the door and spoke with a smile, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now." She left the room. 

In his throne room Jareth froze indescisively staring into the crystal ball. "What should I do Ander? Things went so badly last time with Sarah." 

"That was so long ago my Lord. Surely it will be different this time. She said the words, the goblins are only waiting for yours." 

"I ... Very well. Let them take the child." 

"Your will Lord." 

Amethyst found the dummy down the back of the bed and returned to the living room to find the light out. The light from the hall flickered too as she pushed the door open further and then died leaving her in the dark. 

"Spook! If I didn't know better I'd think my little brother had been kidnapped by goblins. Hah! I wish. Louis where are you?" she stepped into the room. "Knowing my luck its only bloodsucking vampires from the pits of hell." She heard a noise behind her and froze, I must not fear. Fear is the mindkiller. Fear is the little-death that, oh bugger that, "Louis is that you?" Taking a breath she turned around, "Louis?" 

From behind her came a voice, the voice, "The child is gone, as you asked." 

She froze a moment before turning slowly to face him. He was, surprisingly enough, the spitting image of David Bowie. He was dressed in a billowing white shirt and black leather waistcoat, black leggings and tall boots. Despite the darkness she could see him clearly silhouetted against the full moon that had not been there when she left the room. The air sparkled faintly. 

"It really is you." 

"What did you expect?" 

"Does this mean Louis is in your castle and I have to go find him?" she asked with a hopeful smile. 

"I see you know the rules already." 

"Of course, but I can't leave Czeslaw alone in the house." 

"Then I shall take him too. Happy?" 

"Remind me to keep my mouth shut next time." 

Jareth stepped aside revealing the window which had changed to become a glass door. It opened to reveal the barren hillside above the Labyrinth. She smiled at him and stepped through. He followed close behind her and slid an arm around her waist to whisper in her ear, "Are you ready to begin?" 

"I suppose so. I hope you have some new toys in your Labyrinth, I don't want to be bored." 

"I am anything but boring." He stepped back. 

"Well say it then." 

"Very well. You have thirteen hours to solve my Labyrinth before your baby brothers become one of us forever. Such a pity." and he was gone. 

Amethyst looked at the spot where he'd disappeared for a moment and then turned her gaze outward. In front of her the hills stretched into mountain ranges topped with snow and hazy clouds. She wondered what was out there, if anything. There was no mention of them in the film. Behind her lay the Labyrinth and beyond that yet more mountains. The Labyrinth itself was a vast patchwork of interlocked textures. Harsh stone wall, green hedge, dank wet marshland, copper coloured autumn woods, mounded rubbish heaps, small villages here and there and in the centre the Goblin City and the high walls of the castle beyond it. The castle was larger than she expected, a city of stone turrets and flying butresses far off in the distance. She laughed and started down the hill. 

Back in his throne room Jareth watched her in the crystal he held. She was more beautiful than Sarah in his opinion, he thought, and more ... interesting. Sarah had been too straight-laced, not open enough to the possibilities he had offered her. She had been a mistake right from the very start. But this one could turn out to be more than even he had hoped for. As long as she made it through the Labyrinth, the danger was that she thought of it as too much of a game. The Labyrinth was dangerous and however much he wanted her it was against the rules to help her. But he would certainly not hinder her. She had reached the base of the hill. The elder child escaped from the woman he had set to watch him and climbed up into Jareths' lap. Louis gazed into the crystal too. 

"Am-thyst," he said. 

"That's right. She is coming here to see you." 

Louis reached out to catch the crystal and Jareth threw it high into the air where it vanished. 

Amethyst had reached the wall around the Labyrinth and was walking along it looking for the door. The sun was hot and the air was thick with fairies flying around the silver-white flowers of the creeping vine that twined around the wall. She took off her stifling grey polo-neck to swat at them, underneath she wore a dark blue vest-top. Eventually she came to a small building by a pool, sitting on a deck-chair dozing was a skinny Goblin in a string vest. 

"Excuse me?" The Goblin opened his eyes. "What happened to Hoggle?" 

"'Im! 'E ain't 'ardly hever in the Labyrinth no more. Spends all 'is time on Earth 'e does these days. I'm the new gate-keeper round 'ere. What d'ya want?" 

Thinking back to the correct phrasing Amethyst said, "How do I get into the Labyrinth?" 

Raising an eyebrow he gestured to the wall which opened, "You gets in there. You must be Amethyst. I 'eard you knew your ways about this place. Jus don' expect me to save ye cause I ain't Hoggle, I'm Hogwart, an' I got better things to do with me time than run around hafter 'umans." 

"Fair enough," said Amethyst steping through the door. "But at least Hoggle kept the fairies down," she added slapping at one as it tried to take a chunk out of her arm. She turned left and started along the passage dragging her hand lightly along the inside wall so as not to miss the opening. 

"Hmph!" said Hogwart slamming the door closed as he left. "'Er problem is she's too confident. She'll come to a sticky end you mark my words. Besides what the 'ell's she want wif Jareth! Selfish, stuck up an child- ish 'e is. Can't fink o' anyone ood want t'spend ..." 

"I'll pretend I didn't here that Hogbreath." 

Hogwart spun around and fell to his knees. "My Lord Jareth!" 

"She won't come to a sticky end because you are going to help her. You will follow behind her and make sure nothing goes wrong." 

"But my Lord?" 

"Do you understand?" 

"Yes my Lord." 

"And do something about all these damn fairies!" he slapped at one of them and vanished. 

"Should a known this cushy job was too good t'be true," grumbled Hogwart as he made his way back into the Labyrinth to follow Amethyst. 

Meanwhile Amethyst had found the first entrance and was debating which way to go. The worm in the film had said that left went straight to the castle but knowing the Labyrinth she doubted that was still the case. She peered down both ways, they looked identical. If she went right then there was a chance she might know where she was, if she went left she might get to the castle quicker. She dug a penny out her pocket to flip, heads right, tails left. It was heads, she headed right and out of the creepy gaze of the eye-ball plants. 

As she walked along the stonework became less dank and the weeds faded away, the messy path became clean paving stones and she had entered the next region. Not wanting to get turned around in this area where every- thing looked the same she looked up to the sky for a reference point, but there was nothing but lightening orange haze, she couldn't even see what direction the sun was rising in. Oh well, she thought, I'll just have to remember which way I'm pointing each time I turn. The castle should be to my left at the moment, so that's the way I'll go. She turned into the first left turn. As long as she kept going in she should find an entrance to the next area eventually. But how long would it take? As she walked she thought about what had happened. Where did the film Labyrinth fit into all this? Had the Labyrinth existed before the film was made and if it had how had the story reached Earth? Perhaps Sarah had been involved in writing the movie under an assumed name. She must have been around for the casting too in that case. She thought perhaps it might be better if she had never seen the film. It made it seem too much like her own private fantasy and less like the dangerous place it most likely was. But then if she had never seen the movie perhaps she wouldn't be here at all. Then there was her not too minor obsession with Jareth, all based on a single film. How much did she really know about him? But she couldn't let the chance that she was right about him slip away, you have to take risks sometimes. She just hoped that Louis and Czeslaw didn't end up paying for her risk taking. 

Meanwhile back at the castle Jareth too was considering his descisions. Hogwarts words kept slipping back into his head. 'Besides what the 'ell's she want wif Jareth! Selfish, stuck up an childish 'e is. Can't fink o' anyone ood want t'spend ...' What if he was right? Amethyst knew nothing about him, just like Sarah she was chasing dreams. And everyone knows dreams never come true the way you think they will. 

As it turned out it took the better part of four hours before she came face to face with the two doors. 

"About bloody time too!" she exclaimed, sick to the back teeth of stone walls. 

"Well that's not very polite," said the top left face. 

"Well I'm not feeling dreadfully polite," she answered. "So are you going to tell me which door leads to the castle or not?" 

"Of course but you must bear in mind that one of us always tells the truth and one of us always lies." 

"Oh rubbish. I always thought this was the stupidest bit in the film. Sarah just instantly believes you, which for a start would mean that you are the one that always tells the truth and besides who's to say you're not both lying?" 

The four heads all exchanged glances. 

"It's a good point," said the bottom left one. 

"So how are you going to decide which door to go through?" asked the top right. 

"I don't know. I know there's probably an oubliette behind you," she said pointing to the left. "And I've no idea what's behind you. Well I took the route Sarah took before, I think I'll try something different this time. Open up." She moved to the right door which opened before her. She stepped through cautiously feeling with one foot for any traps, as soon as she was through the door shut behind her. She looked about. She was in a part of the Labyrinth she hadn't seen before. The path was soil once more and the walls were natural rock, above her she could see a thin sliver of sky. There was patchy vegetation here and there and she could see several small animals scuttling for cover. She began to make her way towards the centre again. It was cool in the shade of the granite walls and she pulled on her jumper again. 

Hogwart scurried through walled maze huffing and puffing like a steam engine on its last legs. He turned a corner and raced straight into the two doors falling to the ground. 

"Which ... hunh ... door did the ... pfeuw ... girl go ... wheeze ... through?" he gasped. 

"I'm afraid you can only ask one of us," said the top left head. 

"And I must warn you, one of us ... " began the top right head. 

"Oh shut up will you. Jareth said to follow the girl so I'm doing it, now which way did she go?" 

The two top heads exchanged glances and then the left one spoke, "She went this way." The left door opened. 

Hogwart picked himself up and ran through only to plunge down a hole a few feet from the door which swung closed. 

"Jareth indeed," muttered the top right head. 

Meanwhile Amethyst was nearing the end of the cliff maze which had been strangely simple. She could see the end of the path she was on opening out into woodland and as far as she could tell she was still walking toward the castle. She glanced at her watch, four and a half hours gone. 

"If I didn't know better I'd say this was a piece of cake." 

She heard a snarl from above and a large cat leapt from the top of the cliff to block her way. It was a lion. 

"Umm," Amethyst pondered fainting or running for her life but sus- pected either of these would give the lion the advantage, like it didn't already have the advantage? Given the few choices remaining she decided to try negotiating with it. "Hello?" 

The lion sat down, "Hello to you too. I suppose you want past." 

Amethyst bit back the 'You can talk?' question. "Yes I do." 

"So give me one good reason why I shouldn't eat you." 

"I'm too skinny, no decent meat on me, it'd be a complete waste of time and energy." 

"Oh I don't know about that. Lean meat is always preferred to fatty meat you know, a much nicer flavour. Try again." 

"Umm... my parents would be upset?" 

The lion simply regarded her. 

"My little brothers will get turned into goblins if I don't save them?" 

"Now that would be a crime. Little children are so much tastier than goblins." 

"Umm... yes." Amethyst looked worried. "Oh don't look like that," the lion said. "I'm not actually going to eat you. Though I am supposed to you know. But, to be frank, it's boring as hell sitting around here doing nothing waiting for people to eat and I'm not really all that hungry. If I eat you then I'm back to being bored, so what's your name then?" 

Glad of the reprieve she answered, "I'm Amethyst. What's your name?" 

"My name is Millbury. So what was that about your little brothers?" 

"I'm here to find my little brothers Louis and Czeslaw." She proceeded to explain what had happened. 

Hogwart swore loudly. The weedlike helping hands that used to thrive along the walls of the oubliette tunnels had been removed a few months a ago in the annual clear out and as a result there were only a few down the sides that had managed to get a foothold and he had fallen straight down the hole with no help at all. Why had Jareth sent him to follow the girl. He knew little about the Labyrinth and couldn't keep up with her long legs. This was all Hoggle's fault, if he'd stayed in the Labyrinth then it would be him stuck in this damned hole and not Hogwart. Jareth was going to be so angry with him. 

Jareth spoke, "It looks as though Amethyst is doing just fine without Hogwarts help. But I suppose I better get him out the oubliette anyway, just in case. Ander?" 

"Yes Lord?" 

"Send someone to drag Hogwart out the oubliette and tell him next time he's so careless it'll be the Bog of Eternal Stench he lands in." 

"Yes Lord." 

As Amethyst and Millbury left the cliffs and entered the forest they realised that this was a populated part of the Labyrinth. They could smell woodsmoke and hear church bells in the distance. The wood itself was very beautiful. Tall pillars of silver towered in the air, crowned by the bronze leaves of beech trees in autumn. Beneath them lay soft grass and tangled bramble plants heavy with sweet, black fruit. Amethyst was about to step off the path and fill her empty stomach when Millbury stopped her. 

"Never stray from the path," he warned. 

"What?" 

"Listen carefully and look deep into the woods." 

Amethyst listened and heard faint barks and howls, in behind the trees and undergrowth she saw the red gleam of eyes. "Wolves!" She thought of the film "Company of Wolves", this wood was indeed the spitting image of that one and in that case definitly not a safe place to be. "If you left the path you would be lost forever, even I am not strong enough to fight them all." 

"But the most dangerous of all are those that are hairy inside," she murmured. 

Millbury looked at her surprised, "Indeed. You are wiser to the dangers than I would have thought. We must be wary of any we meet in this part of the Labyrinth, for werewolves, as well as their cousins, are common in this place." 

"What about the village, is it safe?" 

"It is not as dangerous as the forest but still I would not stop here." 

They carried on along the path a little faster than before. Amethyst glanced into the forest, there were more red eyes visible. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of the brambles now joined by sweet wild strawberries and the odd cherry tree. Someone definitly wanted her to step into the woods, but she wasn't that hungry, yet. 

Behind them Hogwart was back on track, running along the path, when he caught sight of the bramble bushes. He paused and glanced around him. All this running had made him very thirsty and he was sure Jareth wouldn't notice if he stopped a moment to pick some brambles. He left the path and entered the woods. 

Behind Hogwart was another figure. A handsome long haired man in fine clothing was following them. His eyebrows were heavy and they met in the middle. 

Millbury and Amethyst entered the outskirts of the village. As they neared the clearing the trees had changed from beech and oak to golden leaved birch with brilliant white, peeling trunks and hawthorn and rowan both bright with red berries. The houses were rough, irreular sandstone and wood with roofs of grey slate and thatch. In the centre of the town was an open area with a stone well, around it ran several children. They were singing a nursery rhyme, 

"A wolf jumped up one winters night, And begged the moon to give him light, For he'd many miles to run that night Before he reached his den O! Den O! Den O!" 

One of them was a beautiful girl of about fifteen with deepest black wavy hair and pale white skin. Amethyst tried not to stare. Could she really be here in the middle of the story the film had told or did the girl just resemble Rosalee? The children stopped to stare at her, or more likely at the lion that walked at her side. Then one of the children looked back along the path they had appeared from and cried out as he ran into one of the houses. 

"Wolf! Wolf!" The other children ran also, disappearing into their houses in an instant. 

Amethyst turned to see a man behind her. 

"Good afternoon young lady." 

"Good afternoon. But if you will excuse me I am in quite a hurry." 

"Of course you are and I can help you. There is a short cut out of the forest I know of. If you will come into the woods with me I will show you." 

Millbury stepped in front of Amethyst, "I'm sure we can find our own way to the next level." 

The man stared at him, "Or perhaps you have other things to worry about my feline friend. Like your own skin." He lifted his head and let out a howl. Several other howls came in response and then a huge pack of wolves entered the village they began advancing on Millbury. He growled and squared off to them but there were clearly too many for even him. 

Amethyst could see this too, she called out to him, "Run Millbury!" 

"I won't leave you." 

"There's nothing you can do. The wolves will chase you if you run and then I'll only have him to deal with. So go!" 

Millbury stood a minute longer and then, with a look of apology, he ran. The wolves ran after him baying in excitment. 

"So now we are alone," he said taking her arm and leading her along the path out of the village. 

She allowed him to lead her along as she worked on a plan. He was obviously far stronger than she so she must find a way to get him off his guard and then disable him. Only one strategy came to mind and not wanting to risk waiting any longer trying to think up another she decided to go for it. 

"I'm tired of walking," she said. "Why don't we sit on the grass for a while and rest?" 

"If you like," he answered. They sat down. 

"You know you are very handsome, I thought werewolves were supposed to be monsters." 

"Werewolf? What makes you say that?" 

"Come now, I am no fool. The children called you wolf and your eye- brows do meet in the middle. Besides I've seen the film." She smiled fetchingly, "You know I always wanted to meet you so I could do this." 

"What?" 

"This." Amethyst pulled his face to her lips and kissed him. At first he was tense but then he relaxed a little pulling her closer. She allowed his tongue to probe into her mouth. After a few minutes, when she thought he wouldn't notice she drew her knee back a little and then, when he least expected it, she drove her knee as hard as she could into his balls. He fell back, his face bright red and she stood up and ran for her life along the path toward the exit out of the forest. 

In the castle Jareth, who had been gripping his crystal ball almost hard enough to shatter it, laughed aloud. 

"Look how easily she decieves him Ander, she is more two-faced than I gave her credit for." He looked into the ball again, "Hogwart is worse than useless. He'd be more likely to get her killed than help her. Besides I am not so sure I wish to help her. I shall leave him to the wolves." 

Amethyst had run faster and longer than she thought herself capable but at last she came to a door set into a cliff wall. She fell against it gasing for breath. 

"Millbury?" 

She looked behind but all she could hear was the distant howling of the company of wolves. 

"I'm sorry Millbury." 

Opening the door she fell through it and it swung shut behind her. She dropped to her knees drawing ragged breaths through her rough throat until her lungs ceased to ache so. 

"I am way too unfit for all this," she wheezed. 

She stood slowly, her legs trembling and looked around. She was in a maze built of wooden stakes, the ground covered by wooden chips and the scent of pine and sap strong in the air. Amethyst leaned back against the fence to fully regain her breath and glanced at her watch. Nearly six hours gone, seven remaining. 

Meanwhile back in the forest Millbury was doing a lot better than Amethyst thought. The wolves were many but they had been hunting all that day while Millbury had been sleeping and he kept them behind him without too much difficulty. He was just about to try and reverse the direction and head back toward Amethyst when he heard a faint voice. 

"Ooh 'elp! Jaareth! Heeelp!" 

Curious Millbury carried on in the direction of the cry to find a goblin hanging from the lower branches of a tree with a single wolf snapping at his heels. Not having time to discuss the matter Millbury leapt over the wolf and grabbed the goblin in his mouth and continued the race with one more wolf behind him. The goblin continued to scream loudly, he couldn't think why. Before him he could see the cliffs rising where he had entered the forest with Amethyst. The wolves were forbidden to leave the forest so once he passed out he would be safe, but there would be a forest and a hungry pack of wolves between him and Amethyst. Had she even escaped the werewolf, some protector he had been. Perhaps he should have just eaten her, better that than she become one of them. He suddenly remembered the goblin and dropped him onto the ground. 

"Hello. I am Millbury and if you don't shut up I shall eat you." 

The goblin shut up. 

"Thank you. Now what were you doing in the wolves forest, I thought goblins knew better than to go there?" 

"Well I guess I'm just stupid then. If you ain't gon to eat me can I go? I got business to do. Though Gawd knows 'ow I'm gon to get to th'other side of that damn forest now. Bloody 'ell." 

"I was pondering that myself, I do believe I know a way around the forest. I'm heading there myself, why don't I give you a lift?" 

"Well I s'pose so. I'm Hogwart." 

"Well climb aboard Hogwart. I'm in a bit of a hurry myself." 

Jareth was brooding, he had sent Ander away with Louis. This was all a mistake. Another mistake just like Sarah. He had believed her dreams, had thought he was giving her what she wanted. It had never even occured to him that she would turn him away. He had thought he knew her but he had never understood her at all. She had just been playing, with him, with her life. None of it had meant anything. "Toys" Amethyst had said. She was playing the game too, just like Sarah and just like Sarah if he let her win she would turn him away. That wasn't going to happen, not this time. He would keep her and the children whether they liked it or not. Who was to stop him? He was King was he not? He leapt to his feet and strode over to the window holding out a crystal to blow on the wind. It drifted across the Labyrinth to where Amethyst sat, her head back against the wooden fence as she caught her breath. Before she even noticed it was too late. 

Amethyst was dreaming. 

A ballroom. All in white. Marble pillars, white lace and sparkling beads, velvet cushions and fur rugs. All in brilliant white. And full of people, so many, laughing and dancing in such beautiful clothes. All earth colours rust and brown and orange. Lace and silk and velvet. She herself was wearing palest pink silk, boned and laced tight at her back like the others but the skirt was straight with only a slight bustle at the back folded with white. Her hair was loosely up in pale blonde curls and pale pink roses. 

She wandered through the crowd watching their antics. There was some- thing strange about this place. She was there but it felt as if she wasn't, as if it wasn't quite reality. For a start there was no ceiling, the room just seemed to stop. She felt light-headed, dizzy. She couldn't seem to remember why she was here, who were these people? 

Then she saw him. Jareth. Dressed in deepest black, a hole in the picture. 

"There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes. A kind of pale jewel, open and closed. Within your eyes. I'll place the sky within your eyes." 

She moved towards him but was stopped by a bustle of people, when they had passed he was gone. 

"There's such a fooled heart, beating so fast. In search of new dreams, a love that will last. Within your heart. I'll place the moon, within your heart." 

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. He stood before her. Taking her hand Jareth led Amethyst onto the dance floor and they began to waltz. She stopped worrying about why she was here. It didn't matter, nothing mattered now that he was here. 

"As the pain sweeps through makes no sense for you. Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all. But I'll be there for you. As the world falls down. Falling down. Falling in love." 

They danced and as she held him she faintly noticed the room getting darker and the sounds fading away. 

"I'll paint you mornings of gold. I'll spin you Valentine evenings. Though we're strangers to love, we're choosing a path between the stars. I'll lay my love, between the stars. As the pain sweeps through makes no sense for you. Every thrill is gone, wasn't too much fun at all. But I'll be there for you. As the world falls down. Falling. Falling down. Falling. Falling in love." 

Now there was only the flicker of candle light in an empty room and the song was ended. They stopped dancing. Jareth looked into her eyes, for a moment he felt a wave of guilt at what he was doing. She trusted him. But he stifled it, this was all a game to her. He must take her now while he had the chance and the thirteenth hour would pass unnoticed while she slept. She would never have the chance to betray him. He cupped her face and lowered his lips to hers in a gentle kiss that became more passionate as he pulled her against him. 

Amethyst awoke on a pile of cushions in a candle lit room. She was naked but for a snow white sheet. She sat up and looked around, confused. 

"Where am I?" 

She draped the sheet around her and stood up, as she did so a clock chimed. She looked at it. Eleven o'clock. No wait, not eleven, twelve. The clock had thirteen hours on it. Thirteen? 

"No!" 

As memory flooded back she ran to the mirrored wall and grabbed up a chair. She smashed through the glass and fell slowly through the pieces of the ballroom back in her own clothes, landing lightly in amongst the piles of rubbish. In the distance rose the walls of the Goblin City, she started towards it. There wasn't much time left. The rubbish heaps were ugly but at least they didn't smell of much. Seemed to be mostly broken toys and old furniture. Here and there a broken figure picked through the junk stuffing items into a sack or a pocket. They didn't seem to see her and she moved past them quickly. She didn't like it here, there was an air of despair and loneliness. These people all seemed lost. If she didn't hurry she would be lost too, why had Jareth done that? She had thought he wanted to help her. 

Hogwart and Millbury had made their way around the forest and arrived at its exit on the other side. But Amethyst was not there. Knowing she was heading for the castle they made their way to the city gates hoping to catch up with her. It was slow going but at least Millbury, unlike Hogwart, seemed to know where he was going. 

They spotted Amethyst not far from the gates which were guarded by two goblins who were, unfortunatly, awake. 

"Millbury!" exclaimed Amethyst. "You're alright." 

"Indeed. As are you. Shall we proceed to the castle?" 

"Yes, we don't have that much time left. But how do we get past the guards and that robot thing?" 

"Hogwart is a goblin, they'll open the gates for him," said Millbury. "You climb on my back and when they're open we'll run through them before they close again." 

"Sounds too easy, will it work?" Amethyst asked Hogwart. 

"Should do. Them gates is pretty slow, takes 'em ages to get 'em closed again. You two'll be 'alf way to the castle before they do. As long as you don't say it's a piece of cake." 

"I'll bear that in mind, let's do it." Amethyst paused and turned back to Hogwart. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you weren't going to help." 

"Don' ask. Just don' ask." Hogwart walked up to the guards. "'Ello mates. Care to let me through?" 

The guards snapped to semi-attention. "Name and business," demanded one. 

"I'm Hogwart an' I'm 'ere to visit me ole Mum." 

The two guards exchanged glances. "Fair enough, " one said and opened the doors. When they reached their widest Amethyst and Millbury charged, Millbury picking Hogwart up in his teeth as they passed. The road to the castle was not long as most of the city was at the other side and Millbury was fast. They were at the castle door in minutes. 

"My Lord!" cried Ander bursting into the room. 

"Yes?" 

"The girl!" 

"What of her?" 

"She's here with the goblin and the lion. They're through the gates and almost at the castle door!" 

"What? She should still be asleep. Well don't just stand there, call out the guards." 

"It's too late for that Lord Jareth." 

"Then I'll take the children and hide them, you stop her." 

"Yes Lord." Jareth left and Ander took his place in the throne. "Not this time Lord Jareth. You've made a mistake with this one alright but not the mistake you think. She's not playing games with you and I'm going to prove it," he muttered to himself. 

"Help me open the door," cried Amethyst. 

Behind them the goblins were pouring out of their houses. Millbury put his front paws flat on the door and pushed, it swung open and they fell inside swinging it closed again behind them. They looked around. The castle seemed deserted. 

"This place is enormous," said Amethyst. "How will we find Louis?" 

"If it's any help, I can smell a human this way," said Millbury. 

"You bet it's a help, come on Hogwart." They followed Millbury. 

"Do this Hogwart, do that Hogwart, come here Hogwart..." muttered Hogwart as he dragged behind the other two. 

They climbed the stairs into the throne room Amethyst recognized from the film. Lounging in the chair was a young man. He was dressed in a loose white shirt and black breeches. He had short blond hair and was very handsome. 

"Where's Jareth?" asked Amethyst. 

The young man pointed to his right. They started that way. "Not the goblin and the lion, just you." 

"He's right," said Amethyst. "Wait here. I'll be alright." She ran on up the stairs. 

"Humph," said Hogwart sitting down. "Did'n want to go anyways." 

Amethyst got to the top of the stairs and ran through an archway into the room. She glanced around the confusion of steps and pillars, arches and balconies. She could see Louis and Czeslaw high above her and she called out to them. 

"Louis! Czes!" 

They looked 'up'. "Athys!" "Am-thyst. You on the ceiling!" 

"You don't say." She looked for the easiest way to them, she was feeling a little dizzy. She started up the nearest set of steps. Just as she got close to them they started running down the wall away from her. Louis leading Czeslaw by the hand, they were both laughing infectiously. "Louis! This isn't funny!" Then she noticed Jareth standing upside down at the other side of the room. She called over to him, "I hope your finding this amusing!" 

"It loses its charm after a while, but it was part of the film so I kept it in just for you." 

"I'm eternally grateful I'm sure," she said sarcastically. Letting them run off she continued, "Why did you let me sleep?" 

"Well the general idea is that I stop you getting to the castle." 

"I know that but..." Amethyst looked a little unsure. "I thought that you... that you were on my side. That you wanted to let me win." 

"Why ever should I want to do that? This is no game Amethyst, I am playing for keeps. I have no intention of letting you slip through my fingers the way Sarah did. No you are staying here with me and your brothers too." 

"But I always intended to stay here. Let them go." 

"You lie! Once they are gone I have no hold over you, why should you stay then?" 

"Because I want to." 

He laughed. "How you turn my world you precious thing. You starve and near exhaust me. Everything I've done I've done for you! I move the stars for no-one." He began moving towards her. "You've run so long you've run so far. Your eyes can be so cruel. Just as I can be so cruel." He stopped though the music continued and then spoke the next line. "And I don't believe in you..." 

"Well maybe you should." This had better work, thought Amethyst as she took a deep breath, fixed her eyes on Jareth and jumped off the edge to where the children sat below her. 

It worked. 

She fell slowly, as before, through the chunks of masonry to land on a floating piece of floor amongst the bobbing chunks and billowing white gauze. A light wind blew, chilling her, and Jareth stepped out of the shadows. He simply stood there, silent, watching her. 

"You seduced me," she accused him. 

"I didn't see you fighting," he countered. "Sarah was never so weak. It is only luck that you woke up in time to get here." 

She walked toward him, "Why are you provoking me? I almost think you want to make me leave. Do you?" 

He said nothing. 

Fishing for a response Amethyst began, "Through dangers untold and hardships un-numbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen from me." 

He just stared at her. 

"For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great." 

Nothing. 

Amethyst stopped. "For God's sake say something!" 

"What would you have me say? 

"Something! Anything! Don't just stand there like it's finished already. Do you have so little faith in me?" 

"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I do want you to leave." 

"Bollocks!" 

"What?" 

"I said bollocks. I've never heard such a load of rubbish in my life. If you want me to stay then tell me to stay, order me to stay. If not then I'll go. But whatever happens you have to send the children back or Dad and Sarah will never forgive me." 

"They're already gone." 

"What?" 

"I sent them back when you jumped. This is between you and I, they were not needed anymore. So now you can go too." 

"I'm not going anywhere." 

"You're not?" 

"Of course not, you think I went through all that just to go back home like nothing ever happened? But hey if you want me to go that much then I will." 

"No! ... I mean you don't have to go if you don't want to." 

"Oh I see. Well if you put it like that, so romantically and all, then I guess I'll just have to stay. I mean it's not every day a girl almost gets an offer like that." 

"You are teasing me." 

"Well it serves you right. All the magic tricks and mind-bendery weren't necessary you know, you could've just asked. Although I have to admit it was rather romantic, candle light and soft music and all that. And the dress was stunning." 

"You liked it?" 

"Very much." She stepped closer to him and put on puppy dog eyes. "So you will condescend to let me stay?" 

"I suppose so. But I expect a little more respect for your ruler than you have shown so far." 

Amethyst stepped away from him and dropped to her knees. "Why of course, My Lord Jareth." He looked less than convinced. "But now I'd better get back to my fathers house before they get home." 

"What?" 

"I can't just disappear with no explanation can I?" 

"Well you could but I see your point. I shall accompany you." 

"If you like. What should I tell them?" 

"The truth of course, unless you have some desire to lie." 

"No. The truth then." 

(c) copyright Marysia Kolodziej, 1996 


End file.
